Reaction propelled device



Dee-10, 1946.

R. W. HOAGLAND REACTION PROPELLED DEVICE Filed Feb. '22, 1944 mmvrox Reginald Wfioagland Patented Dec. 10, 1946 Fries REACTION PROPELLED DEVICE Reginald W. Hoagland, Detroit, Mich assignor,

by mesne assignments, to United States of America Application February 22, 1944, Serial No. 523,412

invention relates to reaction propelled devices, such as, for example, explosive.projecr tiles, smoke or chemicalshells, flares andthe,

like.

Various devices of this type, commonly known as rocket shells, have been proposed heretofore, among which is. one that embodies a tubular casing secured to the rearward end of the projectile body and having its rearward end swaged or otherwise reduced in diameter to provide an axially opening Venturi passage, the wall of the casing being of substantially uniform thickness throughout. As a result of the reduction in diameter of the rearward end of the casing, a circumferential pocket is formed which, due to the vacuum produced therein during flight, tends to slow up the speed of travel of the projectile.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel means for relieving a rocket shell of the above type of the vacuum produced by the circumferential rocket whereby to decrease its flight resistance.

Another object is to provide a rocket shell with a novel arrangement for utilizing a portion of the propelling medium to rotate the shell continuously during flight whereby to stabilize the shell to. insure truer flight and to eliminate the 2 Claims. (Cl. 102-49) 2 which is in the form of sticks I! of slow burning powder or other suitable combustible material is carried by the cage ll.

necessity of providing stabilizing fins extending V outwardly from the body of the projectile.

With the above and other objects in view which will be apparent from the following description to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, the present'invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations" The rearward end of the casing 8 is swaged down or otherwise reduced in diameter to provide In accordance with the present invention, a I

number of vanes l8 are secured by weld material I! to the rearward end of the casing as shown in the drawing, the same following thecontour of the region of reduced diameter." These vanes are arranged at an angle to *the axis of the projectile and each pair form with the external surface of the reduced end region a pocket or channel l9 open at its rearward end. The wall of the casing where the latter starts to reduce in diameter is provided with a number of circumferentially spaced apertures 20, there being one such aperture for each such channel. Each aperturew 20 is closelyadjacent to the forward end of one vane of each pair. A'portiomof the gases resulting from the burning of the propellant thus flow under pressure through the apertures 20 and by reason of the angularrelation of the vanes with respect to the axis of the projectile im- Figure 1. is a side elevation of the projectile,

partially in section to show the interior arrangement of the same, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the reaction propulsion device shown for illustration includes a main projectile body 5 having a chamber li therein for the reception of an explosive charge, not shown, and a rearwardly extending burster tube I. I

Threadedly or-otherwise suitably secured to the base end of the body 5 is a tubular casing 8 having anintemal shoulder 9 at its forward end which supports a plate Ill. The plate In supports a cage Ii composed of rods I2 and an interconnecting end ring l3. The propulsion charge pinge upon the vanes 18 and thus causethe projectile to rotate during its flight whereby to stabilize itself for true flight. The axially rearwardly flaring external surface of the reduced end portion and the vanes provide in effect channels for the smooth evenly distributed flow of the products of combustion. discharging from the apertures 20.

Although the invention has been described in connection with an explosive projectile it is to be understood that the .same is equally as applicable to any device of the rocket type adapted to be projected through space, and that the vanes l8 and apertures 20 may be arranged at locations other than at the rearward end of the casing. It is to be understood that various changes may be made in' the detailed construction and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is;

1. In a reaction propulsion device, a tubul casing adapted to contain a combustible propelling charge, one end oi said casing being of reduced cross-section and providing an axially opening Venturi passage for the discharge oi the products of combustion of said charge from said casing, the external surface 01 said reduced end flaring outwardly and axially away from the body of said casing, said casing having a plurality of apertures through the wall thereof adjacent said reduced end for discharging a portion of said.

products of combustion about said reduced-end.

2. In a reaction propulsion device. a tubular casing adapted to contain a combustible propelling charge, one end of said casing being of reduced cross-section and providing an axially opening Venturi passage for the discharge of the a 4 Products of combustion of said charge from said casing, the external surface of said reduced and flaring outwardly and axially away from the body of said casing, said casing having a plurality of. apertures through the wall thereof adjacent said reduced end for discharging a portion oi said products of combustion about said reduced end, and a plurality of circumferentially'spaced outwardly extending vanes joined to the external wall of said reduced end and providing a plurality of channels, said apertures being disposed to discharge products of combustion into said channels, said vanes being angularly disposed relative to the axis of said casing and in the path of discharge of the products of combustion from said apertures whereby to impart rotation 

